Spring Moo Cards

Cold. Again. As we walked the dogs this morning, ice began falling from the sky. The sleet bouncing off their backs didn't phase Jasmine or Harley, but for me, gloves and jackets are getting a bit old. The only sign that it was spring, and Easter Sunday, was the trail of spilled jelly beans in the park.

So, I welcomed the spring theme for the make a moo or two challenge. Lately I've been inspired by pink - it cheers me up and gives me hope that spring really is here!

Quilt Guild, and A Great Mail Day!

Today I attended a mid-day meeting for a quilt guild I'm thinking about joining. The speaker was a lady with a collection of vintage aprons, and I left the meeting quite excited about some plans I had already made to sew a couple of hip and flirty aprons.

Then, I arrived home to find a package from Scotland waiting for me. Yes! The earrings I won in Susie's blog giveaway over at Creative Rainbows! When I opened the package, I was thrilled to find not two, but three beautiful pairs of Susie's handmade earrings, as well as some fabulous cards and a delightful bookmark. Take a look!

This photo just doesn't do justice to Susie's work. The "Thanks" card has a clever metallic border that you can't really see here, and the bookmark is laminated, so I can actually use it. And I read a lot, so I do use bookmarks!

My heart is always warmed by the generosity of my blogging friends, and it was so kind of Susie to also send along a couple of things I had been admiring on her blog, plus even more goodies. Thank you, Susie, for brightening my day!

Where Have I Been, and What Am I Making?

At last, after 3 days without phone or internet service, I'm finally back online. It seems that the 10+ inches of rain we had here on Tuesday took its toll on Verizon's cables. I get most of my news online, so I was surprised to see today's newspaper and learn of all the terrible flooding in this area.

Tuesday was also the 83rd anniversary of the tornado that destroyed about 40% of Murphysboro in 1925. I walked to the library today, where some photos of the tornado's aftermath were on display, and was startled to find a photo of my house, without a roof, without all the east-facing walls, and without any exterior walls on the upstairs corner room I currently use as an office, sewing room, and craft room.

It's amazing how much you can get done when you're not on the internet! Here's what I've been making for the past 3 days, when I haven't been working on web pages and logos:

ATCs - Triptych

Monday's challenge at Think Monday-Think ATC is to use a triptych format. Above, I've used stamps, ink, and cardstock from Stampin' Up!, and tied each ATC with a silver cord. Considering my abundant use of SU! products, you've probably figured out by now that I used to be a demonstrator! Most of the stamps in my collection are retired now, even the ones I've never used, and I still have a huge stash of their cardstock, although I'm starting to get low on my favorite colors.

Blog Giveaway at The Apronista

I'm not quite sure how it happened, but I've become hooked on aprons lately. It's probably because I realized how stylish one can be while in the kitchen. Or maybe it's because I found this very hip blog, The Apronista. This week, they're having a great giveaway, with a prize from the Marie-Madeline shop at Etsy. So head on over to this post and leave a comment for a chance to win!

Moo Cards - Favorite Color

The theme this week at Make a Moo or Two is your favorite color. Today, my favorite colors are green and purple, but that might change tomorrow, or tonight, or maybe even in a few minutes, although green will probably still be on the list. There aren't really any colors I don't enjoy, so my favorite usually depends on my mood, or is perhaps influenced by something I've just seen.

DCM - I Am Woman

The current challenge at Daring Cardmakers is to make a card that includes a feminine image, without using Tildas, Sugar Nellies, or Bellas. Not a problem here, because I don't own any of these stamps (not because I don't want them, I just don't have them!). For this card, I've used a retired Stampin' Up! stamp, SU! ink and cardstock, and a bit of silver metallic paper, which unfortunately doesn't look silver here.

Now, let me see where I might be able to get a couple of Bellas......

Stars, Mini Composition Books, & Blog Giveaways

The theme this week at Wednesday Stamper is stars. Ha, I thought, I have lots of stamp sets with stars. This will be easy. Wrong! It seems that I gave all those sets to Erin and Tara before I moved. However, I did have one star remaining in my collection, so I was able to complete the card I had in mind. I had my heart set on making those little embossed star charms. All stamps and supplies are from Stampin' Up!.

I recently had the pleasure of winning this wonderful little inchies box (below) from Nikki Wheeler, who was a participant in the One World-One Heart event. It's even more beautiful in person! Thanks, Nikki! I'm now busy making some inchies to fill it up.

Speaking of blog giveaways, be sure to visit Susie at Creative Rainbows for a chance to win one of two great prizes. I have my eye on those little owl earrings!

And here's a mini composition book I decorated a few days ago. These little books are so easy to embellish. I simply covered this one with paint samples from the local home improvement store, used a Krylon gold leafing pen along the edges, and tied it with a wired ribbon and a bead.